Wherever you look right now there is talk about ways to boost your immune system. Proactively boosting your immune system is very much overlooked in our modern society where people want instant gratification and quick fixes. Building a strong immune system takes time, dedication and some sacrifice but in tern gives you the best gift of all – your health!
I am a believer that our bodies are intelligent, complex and were built to naturally fight pathogens, viruses and bacteria. While western medicine has it’s time and place such as after a car accident or when you’ve attained a 3rd degree burn, I’ve witnessed my health being transformed with simple healthy habits and elements from nature.
These things might sound TOO simple and you might find yourself thinking that it can’t be this easy to boost your immune system. While each of our body’s are unique, simple habits truly will make a difference for each of us!
DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. Always do your own research and consult with a trusted medical professional.
EAT A WHOLE FOOD DIET
It can be tempting to binge eat sugary comfort food when we’re feeling stressed. Unfortunately foods that are high in sugars and/or preservatives are actually going to hinder our body’s natural ability to fight disease. This isn’t about food shame, it’s simply about learning which foods fuel our bodies and help us to stay healthy and which ones don’t!
I don’t subscribe to any specific diet such as keto, paleo, vegan, etc. I just aim to eat a nutrient dense diet full of REAL food. My diet mainly comprises of foods that are naturally occurring in nature – fruits & vegetables, minimally processed grains, fermented foods, ethically raised/grass-fed meats, etc.
REDUCE SUGARY FOODS
Sugar DESTROYS our immune system. It can lead to leaky gut syndrome which is a root cause of so many other health issues (IBS, autoimmune, eczema, allergies, etc). Again, this is about knowledge, not food shaming.
In order to have a strong, functioning immune system it is important to reduce the amount of sugar you are consuming in a day – especially processed and refined sugars.
VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS
Hundreds of years ago, people were able to get nearly all the nutrients they needed from their food. Today our food is mass-produced in soil that has been depleted of nutrients.
Produce is sprayed with carcinogenic herbicides, and then picked before it has a chance to fully ripen. It is often coated with a preservative (have you ever wondered why your apples feel waxy?!) so that it can survive it’s long journey to it’s final destination.
Unfortunately food just isn’t what it used to be! Because of this, so many of us are deficient in key vitamins & minerals.
This is where a high quality vitamin comes in. I don’t recommend buying the cheap vitamins that are available at Walmart or the drugstore. Unfortunately those are synthetic versions of the vitamin, instead of plant based. Our bodies do not know what to do with them, and they just end up being flushed out.
VITAMIN A OR LEAFY GREENS
Vitamin A is crucial for the health of our immune system. Often when we hear about vitamins, our first instinct is to grab a bottle of vitamins at the drugstore to add to our routine. While I absolutely believe in the power of supplementation, we can save so much money by sourcing our vitamins from our food!
Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, lettuce, and cabbage are a great source of Vitamin A. If you have trouble eating enough servings of these foods, they can easily be added to smoothies, sauces, etc.
UP YOUR INTAKE OF VITAMIN C
Humans are the only mammal that do not produce their own Vitamin C, so we have to attain it through our diet.
When our immune system is fighting off a virus, it actually requires much higher levels of Vitamin C. So it is helpful to increase the level of vitamin C when we are concerned about getting sick!
Some good sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits (real fruit not fruit juice from concentrate!). I personally take a high quality Vitamin C supplement if I know I’ve been exposed to someone who is sick or if I feel I am coming down with something!
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DAILY DOSE OF VITAMIN D
The BEST source of Vitamin D is sunshine! 20 minutes on a warm day with your skin exposed to the sun (no sunscreen!) is ideal! However, if you’re like me and live somewhere cold Vitamin D from the sun is hard to come by!
I take a vitamin D supplement year round under the guidance of my naturopathic doctor. While vitamin D is a very safe and effective treatment, it’s important to be monitoring your blood levels with a health care professional while supplementing!
ELDERBERRY SYRUP
Elderberry Syrup is one of my favourite additions to a healthy diet. I take it year round to boost my immune system and 100% swear by it! Elderberries are full of antioxidants, anti-microbial and are able to lower inflammation in the body.
I purchase a locally made Elderberry syrup with no additives. I’d encourage you to check out a local health food store to find something similar!
So many Elderberry Syrups on the market contain unnecessary ingredients such as natural flavour, high fructose corn syrup, or sucralose.
It’s also incredibly easy and much more affordable to make your own Elderberry Syrup! You’ll just need dried organic elderberries, organic clove, organic cinnamon, organic ginger local raw honey, and lemon juice / lemon essential oil!
DRINK ENOUGH WATER
Drinking enough water is another underrated habit. Our body requires large amounts of water to operate optimally. Dehydration negatively affects every single system in our body and it is said that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
The thing is, when you’re always dehydrated you stop recognizing the signs of dehydration – frequent headaches, constipation, sore muscles, skin issues, brain fog, fatigue, etc.
Water is what flushes our body of any toxins. Without enough water, your body can become sluggish which affects the immune system’s ability to function optimally.
Drinking half your body weight in ounces is a simple way to boost your immune system!
If you struggle with drinking enough water, here are some tips:
- Purchase a water bottle that you LOVE. Here’s my favourite!
- Try drinking out of a straw. I use these straws in the water bottle linked above!
- Try adding fresh lemon or Lemon Essential Oil to flavour your water
- Experiment with ice cold water vs room temperature
- Always bring a water bottle with you
- Drink water first thing in the morning
GET 8+ HOURS OF SLEEP
Getting enough sleep is just as underrated as drinking enough water! A lack of sleep directly suppresses our immune function. Adults really do need at LEAST 7 hours of sleep per night, if not 8-9!
If you struggle with falling or staying asleep, there are many things that might help!
- Turn your screens off at LEAST an hour before going to bed. Blue light from electronics can disrupt your circadian rhythm.
- Avoid caffeine after 2pm or entirely
- Avoid sugary foods in the evenings
- Try to go to bed & wake up at the same time every day
- Do a “brain dump” before going to sleep
- Diffuse essential oils such as Lavender, Frankincense, Cedarwood, Bergamot, Juniper Berry
- Develop a night-time routine to let your body know it’s soon time to go to sleep
MANAGE YOUR STRESS
Heightened levels of stress can negatively impact your immune system by keeping your body in a constant state of fight or flight. There are healthy levels of stress which allow us to survive. Being aware of the situation, funnelling that stress into making necessary preparations is a way we can use stress in a positive way.
But when we remain in a state of stress for too long, it starts to hurt our immune system. When we are in a prolonged state of fight or flight, our body overproduces cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol is needed in order to suppress inflammation in our bodies. But with too much of it, that inflammation eventually becomes immune to the cortisol, and our inflammation levels become too high.
High levels of inflammation suppress our immune system, and we lose the ability to fight off bacteria & viruses. Not only that, but chronic inflammation can lead to long term problems like IBS, and autoimmune disease.
There are, of course, SO many other ways that we can improve our immune function.
So many people go through life with their immune system struggling and not functioning optimally. These simple habits can drastically boost your immune system, improving your health and your life!
I hope you feel encouraged to put at least one of these habits into practice in your own life.
